ITALIANS are people renowned for being passionate about food.

I’ve tested this theory on several visits to the country and found that even everyday cooks produce cuisine that tantalises their family’s tastebuds.

But I hadn’t found a restaurant in England that replicated the standard of fare.

That is until I visited Grappolo at Lockwood. It was a Sunday night and myself and a friend both had a craving for pasta. But not just any old spaghetti and sauce out of a jar would do.

My friend had dined at Grappolo when it was known as Ciao!, so we decided to test how it had changed since owner Hami Mehrgan – who also runs Sorrento restaurant in Bradford – took over two years ago.

Grappolo has a welcoming atmosphere, with warm decor, featuring grape motifs as a nod to the venue’s name, and lighting that creates the right ambience.

It is also quite possibly the cleanest restaurant I have ever eaten in, with gleaming, spotless tables and floors.

We were the first in the restaurant and were seated quickly by friendly staff.

As the restaurant steadily filled around us, I noticed all customers were greeted with the same cheer and efficiency.

A browse over the menu left us spoilt for choice. It managed to be authentic while including the more typical dishes we English associate with Italy – spaghetti bolognese and lasagne among them.

Hot starters including soup and garlic bread ranged from £3.80 to £5, or you could have a cold antipasti – such as bruschetta or mozzarella salad – from £4.80 to £5.50.

My friend opted for an insalata caprese – mozzarella, fresh tomatos, olive oil and basil – while I had the Antipasto misto all’Italiana – or selection of salamis, olives and mozzarella to you and me.

The dishes were simple but the flavours fantastic and authentically Italian – as were the portions. Those with small appetites would be best giving a starter a miss if they want to enjoy a main!

For the main course, chicken, fish or meat dishes ranged from around £10 to £15. A wide range of pizzas and pastas are available from £6 to £8.50, with side dishes to choose from. Not that you would need them, as the portions of the main courses were also very generous.

I chose Linguine al frutti di mare – pasta with seafood in a garlic, chilli and tomato sauce – and a lovely house red wine to go with it.

Usually, you get much more pasta than seafood in the linguini dish, a personal favourite. But I just kept uncovering more mussels, prawns, squid and other marine delights in my perfectly cooked spaghetti.

My friend, a vegetarian, had a good choice of dishes but opted for a spaghetti carbonara, one of her favourites. She is very picky about this dish but pronounced this offering to be perfect and managed to stretch her small appetite to enjoy it as much as possible.

However, in the end the dishes defeated both of us. It is not often I fail to finish a plateful, but this time, I could eat no more. Needless to say, we skipped pudding, despite the tempting selection, though we did manage a latte and a coffee, at £2 and £1.80 respectively.

Perhaps we should have considered children’s portions, which are priced at £4 for any pasta or pizza.

Grappolo offers a takeaway menu, so you can enjoy the taste of Italy at home. But you would miss out on a pleasant dining experience, as one of the things that is most authentically Italian about Grappolo is the staff. Friendly, helpful and efficient they are quick to serve you, happy to cater to whims and make a joke or two.

We did not have to wait long for the bill and went straight home – but we could have relaxed in the upstairs function room after the meal. The kitchen shuts at 10pm, but this room caters for guests until they ready to leave.

For a truly Italian dining experience, I can certainly recommend a visit.

Venue Grappolo, 2 Water Street, Lockwood, Huddersfield.

Telephone 01484 513783.

Children Welcomed.

Disabled access Yes.

Food Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm until 10pm. Closed Mondays, except special dates such as Christmas Eve.

The bill £36.25.

Would you go back Definitely.